Jim Schwartz will not fire special teams coach

Two games and four return touchdowns are not going to cost Danny Crossman his job. Not now anyway.

The Detroit Lions have been flat out pathetic on special teams, surrendering a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns in Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Percy Harvin opened the game with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Marcus Sherels later added a punt return for a touchdown as the Lions managed to lose a home game without giving up an offensive touchdown.

The Lions surrendered a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown a week earlier at Tennessee, making them the first team since 1940 to give up touchdown returns in both phases in consecutive weeks, according to STATS LLC.

“That's not a consideration," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “If we were getting out-schemed or if players were messing up schemes, it would be one thing. These are physical plays we have to make and pro athletes have to make them.”

“One of our major points this week was what we needed to do on kickoffs because we knew Harvin is a threa. We got a great kick out of Jason Hanson. Make no mistake, we had great location on the kick. We just didn't get guys off the blocks."

The 53-man roster only runs so deep. It’s also going to be impossible for Schwartz to fire many players on special teams and revamp the unit on the fly. The Lions aren’t going to win many games being this awful on teams.